Nittany Valley is an eroded anticlinal valley located in Centre County , Pennsylvania . It is separated from the Bald Eagle Valley by Bald Eagle Mountain and from Penns Valley by Mount Nittany . The valley is closed to the north by a high plateau that joins these two mountain ridges, but is open to the south at the southern terminus of Mount Nittany. The valley drains to Bald Eagle Creek through water gaps in Bald Eagle Mountain formed by Spring Creek and Fishing Creek , along with smaller streams running through Curtain Gap and Howard Gap. The northwest side of the valley between the Bald Eagle Mountain ridge and the lower Sand Ridge is also known as the Little Nittany Valley.
41-568: The valley has a mixture of farmland, woodlots, and a number of working and abandoned quarries. Bellefonte , the county seat of Centre County, is the largest municipality completely within the valley. The Pennsylvania State Correctional Institution - Rockview , the Nittany Mall , the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute and University Park Airport are large facilities located in the valley. State College, Pennsylvania and
82-556: A Pennsylvania Department of Corrections facility, is a 2,000 bed prison located adjacent to SCI Rockview. Bellefonte forms part of Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district . The current representative is Glenn "G.T." Thompson . Bellefonte is the county seat of Centre County and home to the Centre County Courthouse . The Borough of Bellefonte government is currently run by the following elected officials: Bellefonte Area School District operates public schools in
123-472: A Cadillac dealership in 1916, was a mix use commercial and residential property hit by a devastating fire on December 22, 2009. Christmas tree lights in one of the apartment units were determined to be the cause. The Cadillac Building was rebuilt in 2016 and is now home to 11 two- and three-bedroom apartment units. It remains a part of the Bellefonte Historic District. The Garman Opera House
164-548: A dungeon eight feet underground, which was located on the rear of the lot of the present YMCA. A second jail was on East High Street. One of the town's historic sections experienced a renaissance in 2004. The Match Factory (officially the Pennsylvania Match Company ), after standing vacant since 1947, was renovated by the American Philatelic Society as their new home, one building at a time. The site
205-408: A household in the borough was $ 48,211, and the median income for a family was $ 62,292. The per capita income for the borough was $ 26,938. About 4.4% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over. The Bellefonte area, as part of Centre County , typically experiences one of the lowest unemployment rates in
246-525: A land-speculation visit to central Pennsylvania in the 1790, from which the town derives its name. The spring, which serves as the town's water supply, has since been covered to comply with DEP water purity laws. The early development of Bellefonte had been as a "natural town." It started with one house and a crossroad, then iron was found and the town grew. William Lamb sold his mill to John Dunlop in 1794. The following year, John’s father James Dunlop and John’s son-in-law James Harris (1756-1841) laid out
287-445: A manner that will protect the commonwealth's natural resources and the environment. This office regulates oil and gas development and production; plugs abandoned and orphaned wells causing health, safety, and environmental problems; oversees the oil and gas permitting and inspection programs; develops statewide regulations and standards; and conducts training programs for industry. The Bureau of Oil and Gas Planning and Program Management
328-496: A tributary of Bald Eagle Creek , runs through Bellefonte and is spanned by the Bellefonte Veterans Bridge. As of the 2010 census , the borough had 6,187 people, 2,837 households, and 1,496 families. The borough was 96.3% White, 1.5% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.3% other, and 1.3% were two or more races. 1.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. The population density
369-659: Is 10 miles from Pennsylvania State University . Joel Rose of National Public Radio said, "These days, it seems everyone in Bellefonte has ties to Penn State, or knows someone who does." Bellefonte is served by the Centre Area Transportation Authority for local bus service, linking Bellefonte to various points in State College including the Nittany Mall , downtown and the Penn State main campus . The town
410-539: Is also located in Bellefonte. The Bellefonte Fire Department is made up of two volunteer companies: Logan Fire Company #1 and Undine Fire Company #2. Ambulance service is provided by Bellefonte EMS, which separated from Logan Fire Company in 1994. Up until 1946 the Bellefonte Central Railroad served the town on a Bellefonte-Lemont (State College) route. Until 1933 the BCR continued the route south to Tyrone over
451-646: Is also served by the University Park Airport for commercial air travel. Bellefonte does not have passenger train service, with the nearest Amtrak stations located in Lewistown (approximately 32 miles away) and Tyrone (approximately 35 miles away) and serving Amtrak's Pennsylvanian train between Pittsburgh and New York City . The law enforcement agency in Bellefonte is the Bellefonte Police Department. The Centre County Sheriff's office
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#1732852835886492-428: Is an example of inverse topography. 40°54′N 77°42′W / 40.9°N 77.7°W / 40.9; -77.7 Bellefonte, Pennsylvania Bellefonte is a borough in and the county seat of Centre County, Pennsylvania , United States. It is approximately 12 miles northeast of State College and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania metropolitan statistical area . The borough population
533-546: Is housed here. The deputy secretary for Water Management plans, directs, and coordinates departmental programs associated with the management and protection of the commonwealth's water resources; coordinates policies, procedures, and regulations that influence public water supply withdrawals and quality, sewage facilities planning, point source municipal and industrial discharges, encroachments upon waterways and wetlands, dam safety, earth disturbance activities, and control of stormwater and non-point source pollution; and coordinates
574-600: Is now the valley. The oldest rock layers from deep within the eroded mountain are now exposed on Sand Ridge in the middle of the valley. Younger rocks from the outer layers of the arch are exposed on the west side of the Bald Eagle Mountain ridge in the Bald Eagle Valley , with the youngest across that valley at the foot of the Allegheny Front . The Nittany Valley, formed in the area where the mountain once stood,
615-700: Is the primary north to south route through the valley, and the Interstate 99 extension will also run along its new alignment to I-80. Nittany Valley is in the western part of the Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachian Mountains . During the Appalachian orogeny , the sedimentary rock layers folded up into the Nittany Arch anticline . The arch was an ancient Himalayan scale mountain that towered above what
656-457: The General Assembly in 1901. The Department of Environmental Protection is charged with the responsibility for development of a balanced ecological system incorporating social, cultural, and economic needs of the commonwealth through development and protection. The department is responsible for the state's land, air, and water management programs, all aspects of environmental protection, and
697-745: The Pennsylvania State University main University Park campus lie at the southern end of the Nittany and Penns Valleys, and this area is also known as " Happy Valley ". The Keystone Shortway , now Interstate 80 , runs diagonally across the Nittany Valley on a west to east line, from Curtin Gap east of Milesburg, Pennsylvania , to a natural gap in Mount Nittany and then via a deep rock cut along
738-651: The William Thomas House . Bellefonte Academy was listed until 2008; it was destroyed by fire in 2004. Bush House Hotel was built in 1868-69 by Bellefonte attorney and developer Daniel G. Bush. It was one of the first hotels in the country to have electric lights. A man would stand at the train station and call out to the passengers, "Walk ya' to the Bush House." The Brockerhoff House, the Haag House, and other area hotels were competitors. Many notable guests stayed at
779-422: The Bush House including Thomas Edison . The Bush House burned down on February 8, 2006. This building was designed by pioneering female architect Anna Wagner Keichline , a native of Bellefonte, and originally served as a car dealership with a showroom on first floor, a repair shop on the second, and an office and living space on the third floor. The Cadillac Building, so named because it was originally built as
820-465: The Long Run stream. The Nittany and Bald Eagle Railroad short line spur that enters the valley from Milesburg , then runs along Spring Creek to Bellefonte, splits, with a track going northeast to Pleasant Gap and another going southwest to Lemont and State College. The spur to Bellefonte follows Pennsylvania Route 144 and the line from Lemont to Pleasant Gap follows Pennsylvania Route 26 . Route 26
861-892: The Office of Field Operations; and the Office of Oil and Gas Management. It also oversees the Office of Program Integration and the Environmental Emergency Response Program. The six regional offices located in Norristown , Harrisburg , Williamsport , Wilkes-Barre , Pittsburgh , and Meadville provide permitting, inspection, enforcement, and other field services for environmental protection programs. The regional offices are responsible for implementing Department programs through permitting, inspection, enforcement, and other field services for environmental and public health protection; program and technical support to Pennsylvania's 66 conservation districts; and compliance assistance to
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#1732852835886902-596: The Pennsylvania Railroad's former Fairbrook Branch. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Railroad ran passenger trains from Altoona to Williamsport , after Milesburg heading into Bellefonte, then backing out to return to the Bald Eagle Valley Branch's route to continue the trip northeast. The last Altoona - Lock Haven train was between August 1950 and 1951. The PRR also operated trains until
943-684: The Policy Office, Office of Pollution Prevention and Energy Assistance, the Citizens Advisory Council, Office of Communications, the Environmental Education & Information Center, the Legislative Office, the director of External Affairs, and the Office of Environmental Justice. The executive deputy secretary for Administration and Management provides all Department support services. This executive deputy secretary oversees
984-543: The borough and wider area. Centre County Christian Academy is a private school located in Bellefonte. Since 1890, Catholic Education has been present in the Bellefonte community and vicinity through Saint John Parochial School. Saint John the Evangelist Roman Catholic School provides 3 and 4 year-old Pre-Kindergarten classes, as well as full-day instruction in Kindergarten through grade 5. [1] Bellefonte
1025-504: The bureaus of Office Services, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Laboratories, and the DEP Grants Center and Small Businesses Ombudsman's Office. The executive deputy secretary for Programs is responsible for coordinating department-wide programmatic priorities, policies, and actions within the Office of Waste, Air, Radiation, and Remediation; the Office of Water Management; the Office of Active and Abandoned Mine Operations;
1066-407: The late 1940s from Bellefonte south to Lemont (nearest train station to State College), then east to Northumberland and Sunbury, Pennsylvania . A turnpike was created in 1822 after ten years of construction. This turnpike, named The Northumberland and Anderson's Creek Turnpike, connected Bellefonte to Clearfield on the west and Sunbury on the east. Today, Pennsylvania Route 550 runs through
1107-518: The planning, design, and construction of flood protection and stream improvement projects. The bureaus of Conservation and Restoration, Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, Point and Non-Point Source Regulation, and Safe Drinking Water and the Office of Interstate Waters are housed here. The deputy secretary for Active and Abandoned Mine Operations is responsible for developing and implementing Pennsylvania's policies and programs for surface and underground coal and industrial mineral mining, mine safety, and
1148-577: The reclamation of abandoned mines. This deputy secretary oversees the bureaus of Mining Programs, District Mining Operations, Mine Safety, and Abandoned Mine Reclamation. The deputy secretary for Waste, Air, Radiation, and Remediation plans, directs and coordinates the department's programs related to air quality, waste management, radiation protection, and environmental cleanup. The bureaus of Waste Management, Radiation Protection, Air Quality, and Environmental Cleanup & Brownfields are housed here. The chief counsel provides legal representation for all of
1189-504: The regulated community. The deputy secretary for Oil and Gas Management directs, coordinates, and oversees the permitting and regulation of the oil and gas industry within the Commonwealth, and is responsible for the development and administration of the regulation of statewide oil and gas conservation and environmental management programs to facilitate the safe exploration, development, and recovery of Pennsylvania's oil and gas reserves in
1230-399: The regulation of mining operations. The secretary of Environmental Protection, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate , heads the department. The secretary is ultimately responsible for all policy and resource allocation decisions. The secretary represents DEP before the legislative branch, those affected by DEP action, and the general public. The secretary also manages
1271-653: The state. The primary industries are education, health care, construction, retail, and government. The Centre County Correctional Facility is in Benner Township, just outside Bellefonte. It is county-run and houses between 250 - 300 inmates. The State Correctional Institution – Rockview is a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections prison located in Benner Township , Pennsylvania , 5 miles (8.0 km) from Bellefonte. The prison houses Pennsylvania's execution chamber. The State Correctional Institution – Benner ,
Nittany Valley - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-671: The town that would become known as Bellefonte. As the years went by, Bellefonte boomed and soon became the most influential town between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg . The Bellefonte Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Other buildings on the National Register of Historic Places are: Bellefonte Armory , Bellefonte Forge House , Brockerhoff Hotel , Centre County Courthouse , Gamble Mill , McAllister-Beaver House , Miles-Humes House , Pennsylvania Match Company , South Ward School , and
1353-408: The town. Interstate 99 / US Route 220 pass by the eastern outskirts of the town. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection ( DEP ) is the agency in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania responsible for protecting and preserving the land, air, water, and public health through enforcement of the state's environmental laws. It
1394-505: Was 3,510.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,355.3/km ). There were 3,038 housing units at an average density of 1,669.2 per square mile (644.5/km ). Of the 2,837 households, 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.2% were non-families. 38.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who
1435-458: Was 6,187 at the 2010 census . It houses the Centre County Courthouse , located downtown on the diamond. Bellefonte has also been home to five of Pennsylvania's governors, as well as two other governors. All seven are commemorated in a monument located at Talleyrand Park. The town features many examples of Victorian architecture . It is also home to the natural spring, "la belle fonte". bestowed by Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord during
1476-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.81. The population distribution by age was as follows: 18.4% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males. The median income for
1517-519: Was converted to primarily commercial/warehouse use. In the 1990s, the building was restored and returned to its roots as a live performance venue and cinema. The opera house was severely damaged by a fire on September 9, 2012 that also destroyed the Garman House Hotel. The cause of the fire has been ruled as arson. Preservationist groups' attempts to save the Garman were unsuccessful and the building
1558-518: Was created by Act 18 of 1995, which split the Department of Environmental Resources into the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources . Its current secretary is Jess Shirley. The Department of Environmental Resources was created by Act 275 of 1970, which abolished the Department of Forest and Waters. The Department of Forest and Waters was created by
1599-455: Was originally built in 1890 and hosted many notable stars of the day, including George Burns and Gracie Allen , Western performer Tom Mix , and illusionist and escape artist Harry Houdini . The song " After the Ball " was said to have been first sung in public here. It was eventually also used as a movie theater, first showing silent films and then "talkies." By the early 1960s, the property
1640-470: Was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Bellefonte is located in the Nittany Valley of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians . It lies 12 miles northeast of State College . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km ), all land. Bellefonte is in the northwestern corner of and is surrounded by Spring Township . Spring Creek ,
1681-577: Was razed in January 2014. Garman House was rebuilt in 2016 and is now home to 21 one and two bedroom apartment units. First-time visitors who walk along the Victorian streets of Bellefonte see primarily Victorian houses. One of many examples is the Hastings Mansion, which was owned by Mrs. John Lane and was bought and remodeled by Governor Daniel H. Hastings. In the 1800s, the first jail was built. It had